CH 319

“Michael…” Gi-Gyu mumbled when he saw the face of the man walking in.

‘Why?’

‘How?'

Michael had exited the room so confidently that Gi-Gyu wondered if he really needed rescuing. And what was up with the ten angels guarding him? El’s face twitched, indicating she knew the ten angels protecting Michael.

“Zaphkiel, Nathaniel, Camael…” El called out their names cautiously as if she knew them well.

Gi-Gyu said out loud, “The Seraphim and Ophanim.” [1]

Gi-Gyu had Lou and El’s data. When El had said their names out loud, he recognized them immediately.

Gi-Gyu looked at them and muttered, “So they are the highest-ranking angels who protected God.”

While Cherubs were already high up in the angel hierarchy—responsible for leading angel armies, the Seraphim and Ophanim sat even above them. They were commander-level angels.

‘They existed to protect and aid God closely.’ Gi-Gyu knew they were at the same rank as El.

“So they are the archangels,” said Gi-Gyu. These angels were known to be as powerful as the hell kings. This included Gabriel, who had betrayed Michael, and those archangels who had taken Gabriel’s side.

Except for Raphael and El, all the other exceptional angels were here.

Gi-Gyu announced, “So, we have a gathering of exemplary angels here.”

Looking at Michael coldly, Gi-Gyu asked, “But why are you standing there with them?”

Michael stood with the angel group that had betrayed El quite naturally. Or did it only look like that because he had the same face as Gabriel when he had betrayed El?

“Wait, could it be…!” Gi-Gyu became suspicious. “Are… you Gabriel?”

“Welcome,” said the man, “to the city of angels.”

Michael—no, the one with Gabriel’s face who was using El’s original name, opened his arms to greet Gi-Gyu, who had come to rescue him.

***

When Michael didn’t answer him, Gi-Gyu asked coldly again, “Tell me. Why are you standing with them?”

Gi-Gyu had come here to rescue Michael. He had expected to encounter something strange, but he couldn’t understand how the man who had begged him for help could stand before him so arrogantly. Their enemies were even protecting Michael.

“I guess this is the second time we’re meeting,” said the man with Michael’s face.

“...!” Gi-Gyu abruptly realized that Michael didn’t sound like Michael.

‘Thank goodness,’ Gi-Gyu thought when he realized this wasn’t Michael. This confirmed that Michael’s cries for help were genuine.  

“You’re Gabriel…” Gi-Gyu and El whispered.

Michael had seen Gi-Gyu multiple times before, so this Michael had to be the pope. And indeed, this was the second time Gi-Gyu had met the pope.

‘Are we too late?’ Gi-Gyu wondered. Thankfully, Michael’s cries for help were real, but that wouldn’t count for much if it were too late to save him. No matter how he looked at the figure in front of him, it was Michael. The face was identical to Gabriel’s face from the Tower’s memory, but there were some subtle differences.

‘That body… it definitely belongs to Michael.’ This realization made Gi-Gyu anxious, wondering if he really was too late.

-No.

El’s voice suddenly rang in Gi-Gyu’s head while she was eyeing up the angels.

-Look at the other angels. They are standing as if they are guarding him.

“...!”

-I think he managed to steal Michael’s body, but… I don’t think it’s too late.

When Gi-Gyu heard El’s reasoning, he calmed down a bit. Just as she had stated, it looked like the angels, including Seraphim and the Ophanim, were guarding Gabriel. However, Gabriel was an arrogant creature, so if he were really in perfect condition, he wouldn’t have stood in this formation.

‘And when we entered the Vatican, I could tell Michael was still okay.’ Gi-Gyu remembered hearing Michael’s voice when he had entered the Vatican. Therefore, it was hard to believe that his body was stolen permanently in such a short period.

“So I guess we still have some time,” Gi-Gyu mumbled while summoning his power.

“Kekeke. Because of you, I had to change my plan,” Gabriel said to him. “My name is indeed Gabriel. And… it had been a long time, My Queen.”

Gabriel turned toward El and gestured elegantly. He continued, “Because of you and that jerk Raphael, Chaos’ never-ending screams tormented for an eternity.”

Gabriel sounded kind and respectful, but there was no doubt he was enraged.

El, who had been quiet until now, finally replied, “But it was you who stabbed me in the back, weren’t you? It was a fair price for scheming with Kronos and betraying the angels. As a matter of fact, I would say it was a rather merciful punishment for you.”

El’s voice was cold, but she remained graceful and serious.

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“Hahaha!” Gabriel burst into laughter.

El bit her lips, but ignoring her, Gabriel continued, “It’s true I betrayed you, but… Don’t you think you’re being arrogant in assuming that I betrayed all the angels?”

“...”

“Tell me, My Queen. Can you honestly say that there is not an ounce of lie in your statement?” Gabriel was laughing at El. Gi-Gyu wanted to go grab Gabriel’s neck and save Michael, but he knew this wasn’t the time. He had to gain more information from Gabriel. Also, he wasn’t being guarded by some a dime a dozen hooligans.

‘I might not be able to read their memories.’ Gi-Gyu’s sync ability was incredible, but it still had some limitations. Similar to how he couldn’t read the memories of the Vatican angels he had killed on his way here and those God’s Tears addicts, there was a chance he wouldn’t be able to read Gabriel’s memories.

Gi-Gyu’s instinct told him that Gabriel’s brain held a lot of information. If he didn’t read all of it or failed to find a way to do just that, he would likely fail to save Michael.

Gi-Gyu wasn’t close to Michael, but he couldn’t forget the agony-filled and desperate pleas.

‘And we owe him for warning us about the Colosseum monster. He saved many lives.’ 

Thanks to Michael’s warning, they had been able to deal with the Colosseum monster quickly. He had also helped with what had happened afterward in Rome. It could be said that Michael was a hero who had saved hundreds or thousands of lives.

‘So I must rescue him,’ Gi-Gyu decided. He looked at El to let her know the plan, and she nodded. They needed to extract as much information from Gabriel as possible.

‘And this is what El wants too,’ Gi-Gyu was certain of it. Since they had entered the Vatican, El had been behaving strangely. She seemed so furious that she had barely communicated with him as she had slaughtered the angels. Gi-Gyu felt certain that the information from Gabriel would give her some answers she sought.

“Michael.” Gabriel no longer addressed El as “My Queen.” He called her by the name Gi-Gyu had heard in Tower’s memory. “Tell me. If you were truly our queen, and if I really betrayed all the angels…”

As his face turned ugly with resentment and anger, he pointed at the other archangels around him. “Why do you think they are here with me? And what about all the angels you murdered on your way here? Why do you think they chose to take my side, not yours?”

Gabriel raised his voice as he continued, “I ask you! Why were they hostile toward you and not me?!”

“...”

“Can you still say that I betrayed all the angels?” Gabriel no longer showed any respect toward El. “I am the one who was, is, and has been taking care of the angels! Me! I learned the truth, and I risked everything for our kind’s future!”

Gabriel’s voice quieted down as he regained his calm. He added, “Your hypocrisy and delusion made you turn all the angels into swords. I was the one who was brave enough to go against your dictatorship. Can’t you see? Look who is here to protect me! And look who you are with.”

Gabriel couldn’t speak anymore because El suddenly screamed and ran toward him in a fury.

“Ackkkkk!” El roared.

***

“The end is near,” said a sitting man with closed eyes. He was alone in the room, but when lightning thundered outside, his face came to light.

It was Ha Song-Su.

This Ha Song-Su looked like the one Ha-Rim had rescued from Gi-Gyu, but his essence was utterly different.

“Lord Kronos,” Andras called out from outside the door.

Ha Song-Su’s body was now a shell to hold Kronos.

“Come in.”

When Kronos permitted him, Andras entered. Kronos asked, “Do you feel it too?”

“...”

“The end is near,” Kronos answered his own question, and Andras remained quiet. Kronos continued, “It appears that Gabriel and my child finally met. The battle has begun.”

Andras flinched. ‘Just how does he know what is happening in a completely different dimension? Is he finally complete?’

He didn’t believe so. Kronos’ current body still belonged to Ha Song-Su. Despite being created for this very purpose, Ha Song-Su’s physical form didn’t suit Kronos.

“Ugh,” Kronos groaned in pain.

“Is it him again?” Andras asked worriedly when Kronos grabbed his chest in pain.

Kronos explained, “He’s resisting pretty hard.”

Ha Song-Su, a product of Project Adam, was perfected over countless experiments and transplantations.

“Is it because Satan exists inside of him too?” Kronos pondered. Indeed, in his current body existed Ha Song-Su’s soul as well as that of Satan. Kronos was in control for the moment, but the tables could turn at any time.

‘The owner of this body can switch at any time.’ Andras didn’t believe that was a possibility, but Kronos knew better. He had finally returned, and Andras had chosen to serve him because he held absolute power. His body still wasn’t perfect, and the other souls that coexisted inside this form tried to revolt, but Andras believed that Kronos would eventually gain full control.

‘And we must steal it.’ Only this body could house Kronos, so they needed it to fulfill his and Kronos’ dream.

“Just as you said, the end is near.” After some thought, Andras replied, “Now, your child and the deceitful apostle of God… They will both learn the truth.”

“Indeed.” Kronos stood up, and Andras looked at him curiously.

Kronos announced, “I need to see him myself.”

“...?”

“I must see him in person again.” Suddenly, a long scythe appeared in Kronos’ hand.

“...!” Andras stared at it in awe. ‘It’s the Scythe of Time.’

This weapon had helped Kronos come so far. It allowed him to defeat every enemy in his time. It was Kronos’ greatest power and his everything.

Andras protested, “But you are still not in perfect condition. If you get involved in an unnecessary battle, our plan might…”

However, Kronos had already sliced the space, time, and dimension before him.

Ignoring Andras’ warning, Kronos replied, “That will never happen.”

Kronos jumped into the opening, which closed quickly.

“Tsk,” Andras, alone in the room now, clicked his tongue. He was annoyed, but he knew better than to complain. After all, Kronos was the one who would make his wish come true. So, for now, all he could do was obey.

“But I need to go relieve some stress.” Andras left the room.

1. Seraphim and Ophanim - types of angels. Seraph (singular), Seraphim (plural), Ophan (singular), and Ophanim (plural). ☜